I attended this conference yesterday, compliments of Success Resources. Thank you for the invitation. While I didn't get to hear the last speaker, Sir Richard Branson, I must say I learnt quite a lot from the few speakers before him.

One takeaway was - successful people are always taking action, not giving excuses to why things cannot be done!Most of them have a humble background and had financial difficulties but overcome one mountain after another to be where they are today.

Can we take a leaf out from the Bible and learn something as well? Yes, the scriptures say -

To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9.59-62

So the burning question that we should answer is not to invent excuses but rather be clear about what we want in life. When there is clarity, there would be sufficient information to determine if this goal is what we want to pursue. Once decided, we must commit to it.

One speaker said there is a difference between being interested and being committed. Those who are interested merely wants to add new information while the committed people will make a new decision. Then he went on to talk about how people make decision.

The first image was what most of us do. We spent time getting ready, collecting information, taking our aim but often, delay in the firing (execution) for fear we miss the mark. What's more useful is the other way round, Ready, fire, aim. In the latter model, after gathering sufficient information, we then go ahead and fire. We would not know how far we are away from our goals/target if we do not execute our great brilliant plan. Once fired, then we shift our aim (strategies) to align with the goals we have.

​The first salvo provides us the necessary information we lack when we still hold the pistol but withhold the firing. We need this feedback so that we can adjust ourselves. This failure or mistakes as some would say are merely a way of course correction and is necessary for any goal achieving mechanism.

Our attitude towards failure must change and give it less weightage and treat it as a feedback loop for us to improve better the next time. Without it, we will never know that the distance from where we start to where we want to end. The challenge is our need to be right, to be perfect right from the start. We are afraid to miss the mark and overly react to it. We analyze too much and gets too "imaginative". Then we give up and miss a great learning opportunity.

In the Bible, it says; "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing". James 1.23-25

You see, the successful men knew well that taking massive action is the key to their success. They do not give up when faced with setbacks but continue to perseveres until they reach their goals. Such attitude is applaudable and we must learn from it.

Thank you Lord for your guidance once again. Through attending this conference, I have learn to come closer to your words and adhere to it. Nothing is impossible for those who believe.